A global study has connected air pollution with antibiotic resistance, posing a threat to global health.
The study – which was published in the Lancet Planetary Health Journal and conducted by scientists at Zhejiang University– looked at data on antibiotic use, sanitation services, health spend, population, education, climate and air pollution and found that increases in air pollution have coincided with larger rises in antibiotic resistance.
While the main driver of antibiotic resistance is still their overuse and misuse – the study suggested that particulate matter PM2.5 may be behind the increase, but understanding of exactly how the small particles (which are less than 2.5 microns in diameter) operate is limited.
In total the analysis showed that antibiotic resistance from air pollution was linked with an estimated 480,000 premature deaths in 2018.
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The research authors suggested that policies about controlling air pollution, for instance limiting particulate matter of between 2.5 and 5 microns in the atmosphere could decrease global antibiotic resistance by 17% by 2050.
As well as antibiotic resistance – air pollution has been linked to other diseases such as heart issues and asthma.
In the UK, London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s decision to expand ultra low emission zones (Ulez) in a bid to reduce pollution has been heavily criticised, but the High Court has ruled that it should be allowed to go ahead.
“Antibiotic resistance and air pollution are each in their own right among the greatest threats to global health,” said lead author and Zhejiang University professor Hong Chen.
“Until now, we didn’t have a clear picture of the possible links between the two, but this work suggests the benefits of controlling air pollution could be two-fold: not only will it reduce the harmful effects of poor air quality, it could also play a major role in combatting the rise and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.”